Rail-joint.



G. HELMERS. RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION III-ED JULY 9, 1914.

1,1 15,817. Patented Nov. 3, 19m

THE NORRIS PETERS (In. PI-mM-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BAIL-JOINT;

1,115,817 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 3 1914 Application filed July 9, 1914. Serial No. 849,914.

thetop of the groove 12, and the groove 12 is cut of same width as the tongue 15.

In order to couple the two rails together, their meeting end portions areraised at an angle to the horizontal, as shown in Fig. 2, and the projection 10 of each rail is slid laterally into engagement with the notch 5 of the other rail. The inclined portions 14: and 9 are provided to enable the two rails to be moved laterally into engagement with each other. The two rails are then placed horizontally in line with each other, so that the groove 12 of each rail may hook over and engage with the top part of the web of the other rail. This looks the two rails together, and prevents them from being moved apart laterally unless they are first raised to the posit-ions shown in ig. The interlocking projections 10 prevent the rails from moving apart longitudinally.

No fish-plates or bolts are required, when a car passes over the joint the weight of the car cannot depress'the end portion'of one rail below the level of the other, but causes them to interlock more tightly with each other.

What I claim is:

In a rail joint, similar rails, each in its end portion and rail top or tread, and having its web ofiset from the inner end of the said notch to the end of the rail and forming a relatively narrow tongue at the bottom of the said notc said oliset web having a straight and fiat surface formed on the center line of the rail and extending from the inner end of the said notch to the end of the rail, the end portion of the said top or tread having a longitudinal groove in its underside of the same width asthe said 1 to the said straight and fiat surface of ofiset web. I i p In testimony whereof ,I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HELMERS.

which is level with the bottom of To all whom it may concern the Be it known that I, GEORGE Hummus, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taylorville, in the county of Christian and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed whereby the rails are coupled together without fish-plates or bolts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a rail joint constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but shows the rails partially interlocked. Fig. 3 is a side view of the end portion of one rail. Fig. 4 is a plan view 0 the same. Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line m-w in Fig. 3.

The end portions 2 and 3 of two rails to be connected together are reversely similar to each other, and are adapted to interlock with each other.

The top 1 of each rail in it down to nearly the level of the top oi the web 6, and the end portion 7 of the main portion of the web 6 is offset to one side for one-half the thickness of the web. The base flange 8 on one side of the rail is cut away on the opposite side from that on which the ofiset web portion? projects, and a shoulder 9 is formed on the rail top, web, and bottom flange, which shoulder is inclined downwardly and away from the end of the rail.

The notch 5 leaves a projection 10 on the end portion of the rail which corresponds to the rail top,

and this projection has a longitudinal groove 12 cut in its underside close to the offset portion of the combination,

h a n t h 5 out having a single notch cut the the web. The lower end portion of the projection 10 in front of the groove 12 has a beveled or inclined portion 14: cut in it.

The side portions of the top or tread 1 of Witnesses: the rail are wholly cut away in forming the J. F. ADAMS, single notch 5 so that a tongue 15 is formed, ROBERT Mum.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of fPatents,

Washington, D. 0.

of two wholly removing the tongue and adjacent 

